Safety Laws May Tighten for High Rises
The NSW government may further increase safety measures for buildings after another child fell from a window – the 11th accident in just over six months. The already onerous regulations for high rise building safety could be facing serious changes as planning minister Brad Hazzard asked his department to come up with a range of options.
“It is very concerning and I have asked the Department of Planning & Infrastructure to advise on what action might be reasonably possible,” he said.
A four-year-old girl was the latest victim suffering minor injuries after she fell from a two-storey unit window at Macksville, on the Mid-North Coast. It appears the child climbed over the bedhead, stood on the window sill, pushed on the flyscreen and fell out.
A report released by The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in March urged the NSW government to legislate for safety devices on windows. In existing buildings, doctors want landlords to be responsible for fitting locks and other security devices to prevent falls.
